Loans available to aid those affected by May storms

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Workers from JTP Construction work in May to clear a tree that heavily damaged the home of Renee Perssico’s family on Starwood Lane in Beacon Falls. The tree, which fell during a storm, damaged the roof, the master bathroom, master bedroom and the newly renovated kitchen. Renee said no one was home at the time. -JIM SHANNON/REPUBLICAN AMERICAN

Loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to assist homeowners, small businesses and nonprofits in the aftermath of the May 15 tornadoes and severe storms that hit Connecticut.

Beacon Falls was among the Connecticut towns hardest hit by the tornadoes. An EF1 tornado with winds of up to 110 mph touched down in town and continued on a 10-mile path to Hamden, causing significant damage in spots.

While the federal government approved relief to Connecticut towns, it denied relief to homeowners.

Last week, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the SBA approved his request for disaster assistance, meaning homeowners, businesses and nonprofits in New Haven County and the counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield and Middlesex are eligible for SBA loans.

Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, which may include debris removal. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

The SBA is offering Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations. This assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Applications are available online through the SBA website, www.disasterloan.sba.gov, and can be downloaded at www.sba.gov and mailed to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.

The SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center at Southbury Training School, 1461 South Britain Road, Southbury to assist applicants opened this week and will be open Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Monday, Oct. 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For information, call the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired) or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Dec. 10, 2018 and the deadline to return economic injury applications is July 9, 2019.